Bankrupt exchange FTX’s founder, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), who was sentenced to 25 years in prison, gave his first media interview last weekend. He claimed that he never thought his actions were illegal and never intended to harm or cheat anyone out of their money. His defense team plans to appeal.
(Previous summary:
SBF sentenced to 25 years: Judge, lawyers, and his own defense publicly discussed the trial proceedings.)
(Background:
SBF’s trial concludes: 25 years imprisonment, over $11 billion confiscated. What did he say during the hearing?)
FTX’s founder, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), was accused of committing 7 crimes, including wire fraud, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison by the United States Federal District Court on March 28. Over $11 billion in assets were confiscated, and the judge recommended that SBF be placed in a prison near his family’s location in the San Francisco Bay Area.
First interview after SBF’s sentencing
Following his sentencing, SBF gave his first interview to ABC News last weekend. When answering questions via email from the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center, he stated that Judge Lewis Kaplan criticized him for not expressing any remorse for his horrific crimes. However, SBF claimed that he certainly feels remorse. He mentioned feeling the pain of his colleagues because he wasted everything they had put into the company. He also acknowledged the pain of the charitable organizations he supported, as his funding caused reputational damage to those institutions.
SBF stated that he is haunted every day by what he has lost. He never intended to harm anyone or take their money, but as the CEO of FTX, he takes responsibility for the situation of the company. He is willing to do everything possible to help make amends, even if it means only repairing a small portion of the damage.
SBF plans to appeal
Regarding his 25-year sentence, SBF stated that his defense team plans to appeal later this year. The reason for the appeal is that certain testimonies during the trial “severely misrepresented what actually happened,” and his defense team was “not allowed to present crucial evidence or provide important witnesses.”
SBF did not provide specific details about the appeal, emphasizing that he does not want to interfere with his defense team’s legal strategy.
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